Chronic postirradiation changes of skin reflect the injury of dermal structures particularly the vasculature and connective tissue. The clinical signs include atrophy, partial or complete destruction of cutaneous appendages, telangiectasis,
sclerosis of
underlying tissue, pigmentary changes, and in rare instances, ulceration with or without various premalignant and malignant neoplasms.
The patient was a 65-year-old man, who had been exposed to a large amount of X-ray irradiation on his hands incidentally or accidentally for a long time. The skin changes of his hand were thickening and hardening of all disgits loss or focal
constriction of digits, and keratotic papules. Epidermal hyperplasia and fibrous thickening of collagen bundles were found on skin biopsy. Gradual narrowingal of the bony caliber with eventual resorption was noticed on radiologic examination.
It has been rarely reported in the literature that chronic radiation dermatitis develops severe and unusal manifestions such as acrosclerosis and loss of digit due to osteoradionecrosis. (Kor J Dermatol 1997;135(1) : 135∼138)
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